THE EFFECT OF EUTHYROIDAL HYPERMETABOLISM ON CORTISOL REMOVAL RATES

Abstract
Cortisol secretion and removal removal rates were determined in 6 leukemia patients during a hyper metabolic phase of their disease, and again when the metabolic rate was normal following appropriate chemotherapy. The hyper metabolic phase was associated with an increased rate of secretion of cortisol and a normal or diminished plasma removal rate. This suggests that the accelerated plasma cortisol disappearance rates in hyperthyroidism are probably not due to hyper-metabolism per se, but due to specific effects of the thyroid hormone.